PLEASINGTON professional Ged Furey takes an in-depth look at The Open. IT'S 25 years since The Open was held at Carnoustie, when the winning score was a nine-under-par 279 and Tom Watson was the victor.

The other four winners, Tommy Armour, Henry Cotton, Gary Player and Ben Hogan are also great champions.

And that's why I think there will be no fluke winner here this week.

I played the course myself some eight years ago in the Club Professionals championship.

My memories of the links are of a featureless expanse of testing holes and constant wind.

Having walked it again last Sunday, the difference was unbelievable.

It is now a sculptured, manicured, masterpiece prepared for the most prestigious and oldest championship in golf - The Open.

In my opinion Watson's nine-under-par total will never be matched.

There are some birdie chances like the third, the sixth, the 11th and the 14th.

But Carnoustie doesn't get the reputation of the world's toughest links for nothing. Shots to par will be dropped. In fact, it will be the man who can save pars that will be lifting the claret jug on Sunday.

Holes to watch out for are the par 5 sixth - or Hogan's famous alley. On each of the four rounds he played, he hit his tee shot along the out of bounds fence, fading it back into the left side of the fairway, avoiding the fairway bunker and landing in some five yard gap, which left him a second shot to the green.

Will anyone in this year's field take on such a shot? But the brutal last three holes will decide the winner.

Picking a winner is difficult - it's such a strong field.

But on the toughest course I have to go for the world's best player - Tiger Woods.

My outside bet is Steve Elkington, who is hitting the ball superbly at the moment.

How I wish I hadn't three-putted the 16th in the first round of final qualifying or I would have been there with them!

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